With a staggering five US national parks, Utah is the perfect place for a road trip with kids! Each of the national parks in Utah has its own charm and character, so it may be hard to decide. We visited each of the Mighty 5 national parks on our 3-week road trip in Utah with kids. This post will share our favorite things to do in Utah with kids, in hopes that it will help you plan the very best family road trip to Utah possible.
North America
Bryce Canyon National Park with Kids: Best Hikes + Tips
We visited Bryce Canyon National Park with kids in mid-April (our two kids were 3 & 5 at the time). Our family loves being active while enjoying the beauty of nature, so Bryce Canyon was a perfect outdoor destination for us. We spent 5 days hiking in Bryce Canyon with kids and enjoying all the beauty it has to offer.
Arches National Park with Kids: Best Hikes + Easy Walks
We visited Arches National Park with kids in April as part of our 3-week Utah family road trip. Our family loves being active and enjoying the beauty of nature, so visiting Arches National Park with kids was something we knew we had to do.
Delicate Arch Trail in Arches National Park with Kids
The Delicate Arch Trail is the most popular hike in Arches National Park for good reason. The hike to Delicate Arch is scenic and enjoyable, and the up-close views of this highly photogenic arch are pretty incredible.
Devil’s Garden Trail in Arches National Park With Kids
The Devil’s Garden Trail in Arches National Park has some of the park’s most outstanding scenery. Unfortunately for families with smaller kids, it is also one of the most difficult hikes within the park. This doesn’t mean that you need to stay away though; families can easily do a lot of this trail and enjoy some epic scenery along the way.
Capitol Reef National Park With Kids: Hikes + Tips
We visited Capitol Reef National Park with kids in early-May (our two kids were 5 & 3 years old at the time). To be honest, before we planned our family road trip to Utah, we hadn’t even heard of Capitol Reef National Park. We were well aware of Utah’s other four super-star national parks, so we were intrigued to discover Utah has a fifth national park – Capitol Reef!
Best Hikes in Capitol Reef: Frying Pan to Cassidy Arch
While we may not have done all the hikes in Capitol Reef National Park, we are going out on a limb and calling the best hike in Capitol Reef National Park. For the final day of our family trip to Capitol Reef, we strung together three one-way hikes into one continuous back-to-back hiking trail: Frying Pan Trail to Cassidy Arch Trail to Grand Wash Trail.
Capitol Gorge Trail, Capitol Reef: Easy Hike With Kids
Capitol Gorge Trail is one of those hikes which is just naturally fun for the kids. It’s flat, it’s sandy, and the towering canyon walls keep them close so they can run wild and not get too far. It’s one of the best kid-friendly hikes in Capitol Reef National Park.
Hickman Bridge Trail in Capitol Reef: Hike With Kids
Hickman Bridge is one of the most popular hikes in Capitol Reef National Park and is a good introduction to the park. This easy, scenic hike begins by following the Fremont River before starting to climb along the side of a large hill. The views of the surrounding cliffs and valley get impressive quickly.
Chimney Rock Trail in Capitol Reef (With Kids)
Chimney Rock is an impressive, towering natural spire which rises over 300 feet above the road. The Chimney Rock Trail takes you to the top of a mesa where you can look down on Chimney Rock as well as the amazing scenery up and down the valley.